let me rise and shine! I am still a child, let me fulfill my dreams! let me study! For 15 year old Divya from Jamshedpur, 17 year old Rajesh from lohardaga and 15 year Ritu from Hazaribagh, studying in school is a dream turning to reality. Circumstances compelled them to live as labourers for days.
Child Rights and You (CRY) along with local NGOs encouraged these children to join school when they had lost all hope to regain their student life.
To support her family’s income Divya was bound to drop her studies when she was in fourth standard. She worked as a domestic help in Kashmir from 2009-2012 before returning back home. Explaining her motivation to join school again, CRY spokesperson Abhik Bhattacharya said, “She had lost the mental set up to study. It took us more than a week to counsel her to bring back that confidence of school going.”
With the encouragement of local NGOs and CRY she was re-admitted to a local school of Kadma in class eighth.
Today, she is in class IX and is determined to complete her education. In spite, of being in school Divya works as a maid in houses to earn her family’s livelihood, before going to school and after returning from school. “Her urge to study in school is worth observing. Below Poverty level (BPl) background has not shackled her learning confidence,” added Abhik.
Similar to Divya, CRY brought a smile to lohardaga based 17 year old Rajesh Mahato’s life who had to work as a labour in Delhi Factories and at his village stone crushing workshop since the beginning of his puberty life just to earn his own share of bread and butter.
Rajesh’s parents would torture him for small issues. Rajesh was recently traced by a local NGO associated to CRY who admitted him to class eighth at Nadiya Hindu High School of lohardaga. He now happily cherishes his student life with this local NGO’s children’s group.
For 15 year old Ritu Kumari hailing from Hazaribagh, school was a dropped life when she was in third standard. For years, she collected coal and sold it in the local market to make both ends meet. She was recently, located by another NGO linked with CRY at a mining area wherein she was enrolled in a government school. Being at Government school, she is receiving free education now. “I wish to become a teacher and want to make sure that all the girls in my village make it to school instead of going to the coal mines,” said Ritu.